Overview

I visited the stadium to watch a women's rugby world cup match, so the set up for the event was likely quite different than for a football match. I bought a wheelchair ticket and was allocated a companion ticket for free. When booking, there was also an option to book more easily accessible seating in the main seating area if you do not have a wheelchair. Wheelchair users have a designated viewing area at the top of the stadium to watch the match from. I generally found the experience to be enjoyable and wheelchair accessible, other than a single major issue of a steep curb that had to be passed.

Transport & Parking

We drove to the venue and were able to pre-book disabled parking online. Although quite expensive (£15), we were situated very close to the stadium (~1 min walk) and didn't have to worry about finding a machine to pay at. I believe there are cheaper options further away from the stadium.

Access

There was a 'fan plaza' outside the stadium for this event, with food and entertainment. It was quite crowded and unfortunately there was a large curb to navigate in order to access the stadium. This would likely not be possible for a wheelchair user travelling alone or in a heavy chair. I would hope this was only true for this event and that there would normally be an accessible route to the turnstiles. At the turnstiles, we spoke to a member of staff who walked us to an accessible entrance. The door and paths to the wheelchair viewing area were wide with flat surfaces. The lift was fairly small but large enough for a single wheelchair and one or two standing people. The wheelchair viewing area had sets of two stationary seats alternating with two wheelchair bays (pictured), so each wheelchair user could be accompanied by a single person and, theoretically, two wheelchair users would be able to sit together in adjacent bays. There was ample room behind the seats to manoeuvre a wheelchair into position. The view of the pitch from the wheelchair was unobstructed, with a glass barrier below eye level. The area was covered, so we were protected from sun and rain. The volume levels from the crowd and speakers were at suitable levels, though this will probably vary depending on the event. The website states that a quiet room was available, though I did not use it myself.

Toilets

There were several accessible toilets situated just behind the viewing area for wheelchairs. They were spacious and clean with grab bars. Unfortunately one of the toilets didn't flush and the toilet roll was stuck in the holder, but the other one I tried was fine. The website states that a changing places toilet was available, though I did not use it myself.

Staff

Most of the staff I interacted with appeared to be volunteers for the world cup. They were very friendly and helpful and knew exactly where to direct me for the lift and wheelchair viewing area.

Photos